The United States government has created a new military task force focused on assisting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in carrying out operations in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin revealed he met with servicemen assigned to the Task Force Ayungin during the last day of his two-day visit to the Philippines on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

“I visited the Command and Control (C2) Fusion Center in Palawan today [Tuesday]. I also met with some American service members deployed to U.S. Task Force Ayungin, and I thanked them for their hard work on behalf of the American people and our alliances and partnerships in this region,” Austin said in a post on his “X” account.

Little is known about the Task Force Ayungin but the US military often creates task forces made up of a small section of its army, navy, or air force which are assigned a specific mission or task.

The task force is named after Ayungin Shoal, a feature in the West Philippine Sea where BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era warship of the Philippine Navy, has been deliberately ran aground to stake the Philippines claims against China in the area and to serve as a military outpost.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducts routine resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal to sustain the marines and sailors assigned to protect the outpost.

Last Nov. 14, the AFP successfully brought new supplies to the troops onboard BRP Sierra Madre without the interference of Chinese vessels, contrary to what has happened in previous missions.

In June, a violent confrontation occurred between the AFP and Chinese military and coast guard which reached to a point that a Filipino sailor lost his thumb during a ramming incident by a Chinese boat.

The creation of the task force came in the heels of the signing of the General Security of Military Information (GSOMIA), an accord which will serve as a framework to facilitate the exchange of classified military information between the Philippines and United States; and the establishment of a Combined Coordination Center (CCC) at Camp Aguinaldo which will serve as hub that enables real-time information sharing between the AFP and United States Armed Forces.

Incoming Trump administration

According to Austin, the defense alliance between the Philippines and United States will remain strong even with the upcoming change of leadership as President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January 2025.

“We're going to continue to work and build on what we’ve done thus far. I think it’s in the best of both of our nations' interests that we continue to do so,” he said.

“The strength of our alliance, I think, will transcend changes of administration going forward. So, again, I won't speculate on any changes in policy or anything that the new administration may bring on board. But I will say that this is an important country, not only to me, but to the people from both parties right in the United States,” he added.